Automatic control device for talking machines



March 6, 1934.

H. A. THOMPSETT ET AL AUTOMATIC CONTROL DEVICE FOR TALKING MACHINES Filed Oct. 17, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet l 9 aw R Y. O h WE WW dwWww m wm w B mv f a w m H March 6, 1934. H. A. THOMPSETT ET AL 1,949,890

AUTOMATIC CONTROL DEVICE FOR TALKING MACHINES Filed Oct. 17, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

Harryflrchibald Thampseit gdward Chaf'f'ey.

Patented Mar. 6, 1934 UNETED STATES PATENT; FFHE AUTOMATIC CONTROL DEVICE FOR TALKING MA'JHINES Harry Archibald Thompsett, Ealing, London, and

Edward Chiffey, England, assignors dustries Limited, Haye company of Great Brit South Harrow, Middlesex, to Electric and Musical Ins, Middlesex, England, 2. am

21 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in automatic control devices for talking machines, that is to say, devices of the kind which automatically efiect such operations as bringing the machine to a standstill when the playing of a record has been completed, bringing into operation repeating mechanism for repeatedly playing a single record, or, in a magazine talking machine initiating the cycle of movements involved in placing a new record in the playing position and appropriately moving the sound reproducer during the interval between the completion of playing of one record and the commencement of playing of the next record.

The invention relates in particular to that type of control device which is operated when an increase in the speed of movement of the sound arm across the record surface occurs.

The device according to the invention comprises means moving in conjunction with the sound arm and a member adapted to be moved intermittently by said sound arm controlled means as the sound arm moves over the record during reproduction, the intermittent movement of said member ceasing when the speed of move ment of the sound arm is increased, so that said member is left in a position to efiect the operation of the control device.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings by way of example as applied to an automatic stopping device for a talking machine.

In the drawings:

Figs. 1 and 2 are part plan views of a talking machine with the parts of the stopping device in different positions.

Figs. 3, 4, and are enlarged views showing different positions of co-cperating parts.

Fig. 6 is a view in elevation of a part of a turntable with the stopping device arranged beneath it.

Referring to the drawings, on the motor board 1 is screwed a small plate 2 which receives a pivot screw 3 for a lever 4 pivoted intermediate its length. A spring washer 5 beneath the head of the screw 3 engages the lever 4 in such a manner as to hold the lever lightly against inadvertent movements. part beneath the turntable 6 and the end beneath the turntable is furnished with a shaped tooth 7 substantially in line with the main part of the lever, and with an arcuate projection 8 at one side, this projection 8 lying approximately on an arc of a circle struck about the pivot 3 as centre.

The lever 4 projects in The end of lever 4 outside the edge of the turntable 6 is furnished with spaced fingers 9, 10 between which engages in well known manner,

a pin 11 carried on an arm 12 which is fixed to and projects radially from the sound arm 13 at a point adjacent its bearing. Thus it will be seen that the pivoted lever 4 is moved in conjunction with the sound arm 13 in either direction, a certain lost motion however, being permitted by the extent to which the fingers 9, 10 on the outer end of lever 4 are spaced apart.

The turntable boss 14 (Fig. 6) is of known form, being hollow and having a number of holes in its walls which house fibre pads 15 urged outwardly by a spring ring 16 so as to frictionally engage the inner surface of a sleeve 17 surrounding the turntable boss 14 also in known manner. The sleeve 17 carries a radially extending arm 18, this arm lying in a plane which is spaced slightly above that containing the lever 4. In the arm 18 is formed a closed longitudinal slot 19 extending substantially the whole length of the arm. In the slot 19 is mounted a pin 20 provided above the arm 18 with a friction washer 21 and engaging below the arm 18 with a plate 22 carrying so a small shaped block 23 having a curved cam surface 24 on one side (Figs. 3, 4 and 5) and a fiat 25 on the other, these two surfaces merging into a vertical edge 26. This block 23 lies in the same plane as the lever 4. 5

Two pins 27 are passed though the friction washer 21, the slot 19 and into plate 22 to prevent turning of the pin 20, block 23 and washer 21 on the arm 18.

The operation of the device is as follows:

Assuming playing of the machine to have commenced. The turntable 6 together with friction sleeve 1'7, arm 18 and the parts carried on the arm are rotating and the pivoted lever 4 is stationary in a position where its end beneath the turntable 6 is out of the path of the block 23 on the arm 18. As playing continues, the sound arm 13 moves across the record until the pin 11 on the arm 12 fixed to the sound arm 13 engages the finger 9 on lever 4, whereupon the lever com- 1 mences to move in conjunction with the sound arm 13.

As this movement continues, the end of tooth '7 on lever 4 comes into the path of the shaped block 23 beneath the arm 18. While the rate of movement of the pivoted lever 4 remains that which is due to the feed of sound arm 13 during reproduction, the lever 4 is moved during one revolution of the turntable 6 only so far as will permit the tooth '7 on lever 4 to contact with the 1 cam surface 24 on the block 23 outside the vertical edge 26 (as shown in Fig. 3).

As the block 23 moves to pass the tooth 7 on lever 4, the block 23 is caused to slide a given distance along the slotted arm 18 towards the turntable spindle, this movement being permitted by the frictional engagement of arm 18 between friction washer 21 and plate 22.

This sliding movement of the block 23 of given extent takes place once for each revolution of the turntable during reproduction.

When however, the end of the record is reached, and the stylus enters the quick pitch run out or eccentric groove 30 (Figs. 1 and 2) the speed of movement of the sound arm 13 across the record is increased and the distance moved by the operative tooth 7 on lever 4 is so increased that the tooth 7 engages inside the vertical edge 26 on flat surface 25 of the block. 23 (see Fig. 4). Thus further movement of block 23 towards the turntable spindle is prevented. The tooth 7 and block 23 thereupon engage in the manner shown in Fig. 5, so that further rotation of the arm 18 and friction sleeve is prevented and the machine is brought to a standstill by the engagement of the pads 15 in the turntable boss 14 with the interior of sleeve 17.

To restart the machine, the sound 'arm 13 is swung outwards by hand. Thus the lever 4 is rocked about its pivot 3 and the tooth 7 by con tact with the block 23 slides the latter outwards along the arm 18. When the guide pin 27 reaches the end of the slot 18, the tooth 7 by co-operation with the flat 25 on block 23 causes the radial arm and friction sleeve 17 to move slightly, against the friction of pads 15 until the tooth 7 moves outwards past the vertical edge 26 on the block 23. The turntable 6, sleeve 17 and arm 18 are now free to commence rotation.

In applying the invention to mechanism for efiecting operations other than stopping the machine, use is made of the thrust imparted to the lever 4 by the momentum of the rotating parts 6, 17, 18 when block 23 engages tooth 7 in the manner indicated in Fig. 5.

Where for example, the operation of a record repeating device or a magazine talking machine depends upon the throwing in of a clutch, to couple the mechanism with the machine motor, as shown, for example in U. S. patent to Thompsett No. 1,855,563, the pivot 3 of lever 4 may be carried upon a clutch operating lever held yieldingly against movement as by a spring, during playing or the machine, but movable when the thrust is imparted to lever 4 to throw in the clutch.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a phonograph having a record traversing arm and a turntable, a control device comprising a member associated with said turntable, a second member movable on said first named member, and means associated with said arm and adapted to be moved thereby for actuating said second named member, said actuating means causing a cessation of movement of said second named member upon a change of movement of said arm from its normal record traversing movement.

2. A control device according to claim 1, wherein the first member rotates with the turntable during playing.

3. In a phonograph having a turntable and a record traversing arm, a control device comprising an actuating member which is formed by a pivoted member having a free end which extends beneath the turntable, a rotatable arm arranged beneath and extending radially of the turntable,

a second member formed by a block arranged for guided movement on said rotatable arm, and means associated with said record traversing arm and adapted to be moved thereby for actuating said pivoted member, said actuating means causing a cessation of movement of said rotatable arm upon a change of movement of said firstnamed arm from its normal record traversing movement.

4. In a phonograph having a turntable and a record traversing arm, a control device comprising an actuating member which is formed by a pivoted member having a free end which extends beneath the turntable, a rotatable arm arranged beneath and extending radially of the turntable, a second member comprising a block arranged for guided movement on said rotatable arm, means associated with said record traversing arm and adapted to be moved thereby for actuating said pivoted member, said block being in the form of a wedge one side of which is engaged by said free end of said pivoted member once during each revolution of the turntable upon normal travel of said traversing arm, whereby to cause said block to move periodically in one direction, and the other side of which is engaged by said free end of said pivoted member to stop rotation of said rotatable arm upon a change of movement of said traversing arm from its normal record traversing movement.

5. Automatic stopping means for a phonograph comprising a movable member adapted to be moved in conjunction with the tone arm, a brake member carried by the turntable and normally rotatable therewith, a second movable member slidably disposed on said brake member, and means carried by said second movable member adapted for engagement with said first named movable member to stop said brake member upon acceleration of said tone arm subsequent to a period of sound reproduction.

6. In a talking machine including a tone arm, the combination with a turntable including a boss thereon for automatic stopping means comprising an arm rotatable with and having operative frictional engagement with said boss, a pivoted control member adapted to be moved into and out of the path of said rotatable arm, means carried by said tone arm for actuating said control member, and means carried by said rotatable arm and slidable longitudinally thereof, said means being adapted to intermittently contact with said control member during normal operative movement of said tone arm to advance said slidable means along said arm and to abuttingly engage said control member upon rapid acceleration of the tone arm subsequent to a period of sound reproduction.

7. In a talking machine including a tone arm, the combination with a turntable including a boss thereon of automatic stopping means comprising a sleeve having operative frictional engagement with said turntable boss, a radially projecting arm on said sleeve, a pivoted lever controlled by the tone arm for movement into and out of the path of movement of said projecting arm, and means carried by said arm and slidable longitudinally thereof, said means being adapted to intermittently contact with said pivoted lever during normal operative movement of said tone arm to advance said means along said armand to abuttingly engage said pivoted lever for stopping said turntable upon acceleration of the tone arm subsequent to a period of sound reproduction.

8. Automatic stopping means for a phonograph comprising a movable member adapted to be moved in conjunction with the tone arm, a brake member carried by the turntable and normally rotatable therewith, a second movable member slidably disposed on said brake member, and means carried by said second movable member adapted for en agement with said first named movable member to stop said brake member upon acceleration of said tone arm subsequent to a period of sound reproduction and to release said brake member upon manual movement of said tone arm to non-playing position.

9. In a phonograph, the combination with a record support of stopping means comprising a sleeve normally rotatable with said support, a radially projecting arm carried by said sleeve, a control lever operable in conjunction with the tone arm for movement into the path of said arm, cam means slidably disposed on said arm and adapted for contact with said lever during the rotation of said arm for intermittently moving said cam means toward the center of said record support, and means carried by said control lever cooperating with said cam means for effecting positive engagement therebetween to interrupt the rotation of said arm upon acceleration of the tone arm subsequent to a period of sound reproduction.

10. In a phonograph, the combination with a record support of stopping means comprising a sleeve normally rotatable with said support, a radially rojectin arm carried by said sleeve, a control lever operable in conjunction with the tone arm for movement into and out of the path of said arm, cam means slidably disposed on said arm and adapted for contact with said lever during the rotation of said arm for intermittently moving said cam means toward the center of said record support, and means carried by said control lever cooperating with said cam means for effecting positive engagement therebetween to prevent the rotation of said arm upon acceleration of the tone arm subsequent to a period of sound reproduction, said control lever and cam means being disengaged and said cam means returned to its normal position on said arm upon manual movement of the tone arm to non-playing position.

11. In a phonograph, the combination with a tone arm and a record support having a boss thereon of stopping means comprising a sleeve having operative frictional engagement with said boss and normally rotatable therewith, a slotted arm carried by said sleeve, a lever operable in conjunction with said tone arm for movement into the path of said slotted arm, means slidably carried by said slotted arm adapted to contact with said lever during each revolution of said support for gradually moving said slidable means on said arm toward the axis of said support during normal movement of said tone arm thereover, and means carried by said lever coasting with said slidable means in a manner adapted to effect locking engagement therebetween upon acceleration of the tone arm over said support to stop the rotation of said slotted arm and record support.

12. A control device for phonographs comprising means movable in conjunction with the sound arm, a member adapted to be moved intermittently by said sound arm controlled means as the sound arm moves over a record tablet during a period of sound reproduction, the intermittent movement of said member ceasing when the rate of movement of said sound arm is increased by entry of a stylus in a quick pitch groove whereby said member remains in a position to effect operation of the control device.

13. In a phonograph, the combination with a tone arm and turntable having a boss thereon of control means in operative frictional engagement with said boss and normally rotatable therewith, means operable in conjunction with said tone arm for movement into and out of the path of said control means, a slidable member carried by said control means and adapted to be moved intermittently by said tone arm controlled means during normal movement of said tone arm over said turntable, the intermittent movement of said slidable member ceasing when the rate of movement of said tone arm is increased whereby said slidable member remains in a position for engagement with said second named means to effect operation of said control means.

14. In a phonograph, the combination with a tone arm and turntable having a depending hub of control means in operative frictional engagement with said hub and normally rotatable therewith, a pivoted lever operable in conjunction with said tone arm for movement into and out of the path of said control means, a slidable member carried by said control means and adapted to be moved intermittently by said tone arm controlled means during normal movement of said tone arm over said turntable, the intermittent movement of said slidable member ceasing when the rate of movement of said tone arm is increased subsequent to a period of sound reproduction whereby said slidable member remains in a position for engagement with said second named means to effect operation of said control means.

15. A control device for phonographs comprising means movable in conjunction with the sound arm, a member adapted to be moved intermittently by said sound arm controlled means as the sound arm moves over a record tablet during sound production, the intermittent movement of said member ceasing when the rate of movement of said sound arm is increased whereby said member remains in a position to efiect operation of the control device, said sound arm controlled means and said member being further effective to free said control device from the sound arm controlled means upon manual movement of the sound arm to non-playing position.

16. In a phonograph, the combination with a turntable and a tone arm cooperatively associated therewith, of means for bringing said turntable to rest, said means including an arm extending radially of said turntable and a member movable longitudinally along said arm, and means movable in conjunction with said tone arm and extending into the path of movement of said member for moving said member intermittently along said arm during normal operative movement of said tone arm across said turntable, the intermittent movement of said member ceasing upon a change in the normal movement of the tone arm across said turntable whereby said member remains in a position for positive coaction with said last named means to cause said first named means to become eiiective.

17. In a phonograph, the combination with a tone arm and turntable therefor of means movable in conjunction with the tone arm, friction means for bringing said turntable to rest including a slidable member adapted to be moved intermittently by said first named means during normal movement of said tone arm in response to a spiral sound groove, the intermittent movement of said slidable member ceasing upon a change in the normal movement of said tonearm when acted upon by a terminal record groove whereby said slidable member remains in position for positive coaction with said first named means to cause said friction means to become effective.

18. In a phonograph, the combination with a tone arm and turntable therefor of means movable in conjunction with the tone arm, friction means for bringing said turnable to rest including a slidable member adapted to be moved intermittently by said first named means during normal movement of said tone arm in response to a spiral sound groove, the intermittent movement of said slidable member ceasing upon a change in the normal movement of said tone arm when acted upon by a terminal record groove, whereby said slidable member remains in position for positive coaction with said first named means to cause said friction means to become effective, said tone arm controlled means and said slidable member being adapted to coact upon manual movement of said tone arm to non-playing position to release said friction means.

19. In combination with a phonograph including a turntable and a tone arm of a friction brake carried by and rotatable with said turntable, a pivoted lever operable in conjunction with said tone arm for movement into and out of the path of said friction brake, a trip member slidably carried by said brake and adapted to be moved periodically by contact with said lever upon each revolution of said brake, said pivoted lever being w moved into the path of said trip member upon an increase in the normal rate of movement of said tone arm when acted upon by a quick lead in record groove whereby said trip member remains in position for positive engagement with said lever upon the next revolution of said brake and trip member to cause said brake to become eifective, said pivoted lever and said trip member being further adapted to coact upon manual movement of said tone arm to non-playing position to restore said trip means to normal position on said brake.

20. Acontrol device for a talking machine comprising a swingable arm adapted to be moved from an initial position to a second position, a member adapted to be actuated by said arm, and a second member supported for rotary movement and for simultaneous movement radially toward or away from its axis of rotation, said first named member being disposed to engage said second member once during each rotation of the latter and to thereby impart thereto a step by step movement in a radial direction, and said firstnamed member being supported for movement into the path of movement of said second member to prevent rotary movement thereof.

21. In a phonograph having a record traversing arm and a turntable, a control device comprising a member associated With said turntable, a second member movable on said first named member, and actuating means associated with said record traversing arm and having a portion thereof in fixed relation with a portion of said arm, said actuating means being adapted to be moved by said arm continuously at a substantially uniform rate during a period of sound reproduction for intermittently actuating said second named member, said actuating means being movable by said record traversing arm at a relatively greater rate subsequent to a period of sound reproduction in the path of movement of said second named member whereby to efiect controlling action of said first named member.

HARRY ARCHIBALD THOMPSETT. EDWARD CHIFFEY. 

